Industry Profile: Mimi’s Cookie Bar Owner Mimi Kurz

Job Title: Owner, baker
Employer: Mimi’s Cookie Bar
Years on snow: 13
Days on snow: I can’t even try to count those
Currently Riding: A Burton Lipstick 141, courtesy of Gabi Viteri. A Roxy Torah Bright 149 for pow and I was just given a DC board that I’m stoked to try out for this coming winter, thanks Kimmy!
Currently I am: hot

Shay: Tell us a little bit about yourself
Mimi: I am originally from Chicago and moved to Michigan when I was 10. I switched to snowboarding (from skiing) when I was 12 and fell in love with it. I convinced my parents to let me go to OMS (Okemo Mountain School) in Vermont and then I graduated early and moved to Mammoth. I moved down to Huntington beach for a while and worked at Roxy, and now I’m back in Mammoth. I have two dogs, Otto (my pug/basset hound mix) and Bear (golden retriever) who I love. I go running every day. My favorite food is anything Asian. I like orange roses and long walks on the beach…

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Photo: krypstilledge.com

Shay: How has snowboarding changed your life?
Mimi: Snowboarding has led me to meet some of my best friends, I thank snowboarding for that because I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now if it weren’t for all my friends.

Shay: How did you get your start in the industry, who or what opened up more opportunities for you?
Mimi: My first start in the industry was probably when I was around 13, Louie Vito helped me get hooked up with Burton haha (he was riding for them at the time) and I think that’s when I realized I really loved snowboarding and wanted some sort of career in the industry. I just fell more in love with it from then on. But there are so many other people that have helped me along the way that I would probably need a book to name them all, they know who they are.

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Photo: Delaney Council

Shay: How has your previous education or work experience helped you in your current job?
Mimi: I was a merchandiser for Roxy so that helped me with being so organized for Mimi’s Cookie Bar, I have a spreadsheet for everything. When I managed Paisley Boutique it helped me realize how much work having an actual retail location is and how important every customer is, but it also made me realize how much I wanted to have a bakery of my own.

Shay: Tell us about your role at Mimi’s Cookie Bar and a description of the work you do?
Mimi: At Mimi’s Cookie Bar I’m it, so I do everything right now. I manage the website, do the updates, update our facebook, twitter and pintrest accounts; and also all the baking, shipping, responding to customers, costs and keeping track of inventory. I think of the new cookie of the month, sometimes with help from friends. And if we have an event or a party my boyfriend, Delaney, is a great assistant!

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Photo: krypstilledge.com

Shay: What’s an average day like at work for you?
Mimi: Well right now its just been sitting in front of my computer answering emails, googling stuff and trying to get everything ready for the opening of the bakery. Today I’ll be seeing the construction all finished and in a day I will go buy paint so we can paint the place and then we will start getting in all of the equipment. Soon though, when the bakery is open it will just be go to the bakery, bake cookies, sell frozen yogurt and drinks and update all our social media accounts.

Shay: What are some memorable experiences from working in the industry?
Mimi: There’s so many I can’t even think. Some of my favorite times were definitely at OMS, I had such a blast with everyone that went there, Shayne, Kevin and Adam, Donut, Nick I love you all of you guys. I also had so much fun working at Windells with everyone there for those few years. I still get campers that I run into and they remember me from Windells. Working at Roxy was also great, I worked with an awesome group of girls and had my favorite boss ever, every day was work but we made it fun.

Shay: What do you think are the biggest challenges that the snowboard industry faces and what changes would you like to see for the future?
Mimi: I think one of the biggest challenges is having people work in the industry that don’t snowboard or surf or skate. It’s hard to know your customer and your market if you aren’t participating in it. With a lot of the companies growing in size there are people that work there that aren’t passionate about the industry and I think that can be a challenge.

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Photo: Delaney Council

Shay: Education vs Experience…which do you think is more important?
Mimi: Experience for sure – I didn’t go to college, it was something I never wanted to do even being a straight A student out of high school, it just wasn’t for me. Yet, I managed to land a job at Roxy and was there for 5 years, leaving only because I quit to start Mimi’s Cookie Bar so I definitely think experience wins. All my experience previously has helped me with Mimi’s Cookie Bar, I don’t know if I could have gained that same information from school or not. School is not for everyone, but there are people who love it and that’s sweet too.

Shay: What advice would you give to people wanting to work in the industry?
Mimi: Be ready to work, it’s still a job even if it seems glamorous.

Find out more at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mimiscookiebar
www.facebook.com/mimiofmimiscookiebar
Twitter: @mimiscookiebar
Pintrest: www.pintrest.com/mimiscookiebar
Website: www.mimiscookiebar.com